And then about three dozen more 8-by-10-inch glossy action photos of Iannetta behind the plate.

All were for Iannetta to autograph in blue Papermate ballpoint or black Sharpie in front of the witnessing MLB authenticator Joe Rodriquez, a moonlighting Maricopa County Sheriff's Office commander.

This is a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the MLB tries to keep it – its chunk of the estimated $6 billion dollar sports memorabilia industry – real.

Unless you personally watch a player sign his name, you can't be entirely sure of an autograph's authenticity in this collectibles market rife with counterfeit signatures and knockoff goods.

"There's definitely a need for this job," said first-year authenticator Rodriquez, undercover except for his cop composure and the black MCSO lanyard on the MLB "STAFF" credential around his neck.

To each item Iannetta autographed, Rodriquez adhered a mirrored, half-inch tall, three-quarter-inch wide hologram. Each hologram featured the MLB's silhouetted batter logo and a unique serial ID consisting of a one- or two-letter code and six numbers.

One day, when one of these autographed balls, jersey numbers or photos finds its way into another person's hands, the collector can go to MLB.com's Authentication page, plug in the ID and know that Iannetta, in fact, signed that specific item on Feb. 15, 2013, in Tempe, Ariz.

"There's a strict protocol with everything needing a coded sticker and getting logged and scanned into the system to be authenticated," said Rodriquez. "And a lot of people who are doing the authenticating are full-time law-enforcement, so the credibility and integrity is also there."

For about week during spring training, the Angels' community relations department hounds the probable 25-man roster players for their authenticated autographs on the bulk of memorabilia that will be donated to local charities for fundraising silent and live auctions and raffles in the coming year.

During this recent week-long signing session, 12 pitchers, 12 position players, Manager Mike Scioscia and popular former Angels slugger Tim Salmon put their signatures on a total of 3,628 items – or 30 dozen bats, 165 dozen baseballs, 238 numbers (that will be later applied to jerseys) and 1,050 photos.

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